Two weeks ago, at a Los Altos Council Meeting, the discussion of whether to enforce masks in Los Altos due to COVID-19 was addressed. Jeannie Bruins, a Council Member, rebutted to the first African American Vice Mayor Neysa Fligor that she is "out of her cotton picking mind" for thinking that masks should be necessary.  By using this slavery analogy, Jeannie Bruins linked Bice Mayor Neysa Fligor who has a higher position than her to a derogatory term in meaning of lesser value. This disgusting statement proves the underlying systemic racism that is often brushed over in Los Altos.

We elected a City Council who is supposed to be representative of our community. These words and the lack of action is actively detrimental to our African American community in Los Altos whose voice are already not being represented by Jeannie Bruins. While I do not speak on behalf of the African American community, it is in no way, shape, or form okay for our Council to not address the racism that is ever so present in our town. The fact that Palo Alto Online is the only news source to report on this incident shows that Los Altos does not feel the need to report or address this. The city of Los Altos has not made any action, statement or apology for these words. We urge the City Council of Los Altos and Jeannie Bruins to make a public apology and to take action. The only way we can remotely progress to a better tomorrow is by addressing these issues today. 

If you would like to help further, here is a link to email templates to send to Jeannie Bruins and the Mayor of Los Altos: https://tinyurl.com/resignjeanniebruins

Here is the link to the Palo Alto Online Article: https://padailypost.com/2020/05/23/los-altos-isnt-requiring-masks/ 

EDIT: Thank you for all the support on the petition. Your action has attracted the attention of several news sources such as the Los Altos Town Crier as well as San Jose Mercury News. However, we would like to make it clear that the City Council has yet to ACT, the purpose of this petition. The only information we have been given is a copy pasted email Ms. Bruins has sent to concerned individuals which is the same apology that has been posted in these said news articles. This is not enough! Dear Los Altos City Council, we urge you to act. At the Los Altos protest,  the organizer gave Jeannie Bruins the platform to address this situation, and she decided she was unable to speak. We do not believe an apology is enough, and this was not the end-all-be-all action we stated in the petition. Certain action points that are being pushed for by our community are owning one’s actions, accepting the consequences for said actions (Bruin’s resignation), implicit bias training for newly elected and current council members, action statement from the Mayor as a head official of this city, as well as several other method to ensure that offensive words and actions are never repeated. Please keep emailing, spreading this petition, and joining forces to hold our elected officials who are supposed to represent us accountable for their words and actions.